1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a field of medical instrumentation used for diagnostic penetration of a body and, more specifically, to an aiming device used in conjunction with mammo fluoroscopy for aiming a puncturing instrument to the isocenter of a fluoroscopic apparatus, wherein a targeted object is positioned.
2. Prior Art
The use of puncturing instrument for collecting samples of tissue in breast biopsy is well known. Well known is also the use of X-ray imaging in locating a targeted object within a breast and for aiming a needle.
The known devices for guiding a needle in mammo biopsy are for use in conjunction with radiography and require two radiograpic images to calculate coordinates for aligning the needle. Every time the needle needs to be realigned the calculations have to be repeated.
An orbital aiming device for use in diagnostic penetration of the body, which assured the needle alignment and the depth of its penetration without a need for any measurements or calculations was disclosed in the application Ser. No. 07/667/011. The device described there was for use in conjunction with an isocentric fluoro apparatus having the targeted object positioned at the isocenter. The device allowed for real-time selection of the penetration path by pivoting the needle about the targeted object and observing it on the screen. However, the device was not particularly applicable for mammo biopsy.